south korea

Collaborative Fund backs Korea’s Sopoong Ventures to grow its footprint in Asia

Venture capital firms often open a physical office or hire local investors to make inroads into new markets, especially when expanding internationally.   But funds are increasingly exploring a varie

Profitability over growth: 5 investors explain their mantra for South Korean startups

Five investors talk about the uniqueness of South Korean startups, how they've fared in a post-pandemic world and their investment thesis.

Nexon takes 20-year-old MapleStory into web3 with Haechi’s help

Nexon, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, is wading into web3 like some of its peers in Asia. The developer of MapleStory is creating a blockchain-powered ecosystem based on the 20-year

Netflix earmarks $2.5B for original content in South Korea

After the stunning success of “Squid Game” in 2021, Netflix is doubling down on South Korea in hopes of another home run out of the country’s entertainment industry. The U.S. streami

As tech slumps, SoftBank sells VC unit to Singapore-based firm led by Masayoshi Son’s brother

SoftBank is selling one of its venture capital arms, South Korea-based SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA), to The Edgeof, a Singaporean investment firm, according to the two companies.   The deal’s

Samsung cuts memory chip production as it hits worst quarterly profit since 2009 

Samsung Electronics plans to cut back memory chip production as its operating profit in the first quarter of 2023 is expected to plummet about 96% from the previous year. This will be the lowest profi

Blockchain builder Ava Labs partners with Korea’s SK Planet to expand Asia footprint

Ava Labs, a company that launched the layer-1 blockchain Avalanche, has partnered with SK Planet, a data management and marketing platform unit of South Korean company SK Square. SK Planet will launch

Green Labs secures $38.4M in debt financing about a month after conducting layoff

Green Labs, a Seoul-based agritech startup, has secured $38.4 million (50 billion won) in debt financing from existing investors BRV Capital Management and Skylake Incuvest. The new funding comes j

Neubility plans to roll out 400 lidar-free delivery and security robots by year-end

Last-mile robotics startup Neubility — which makes autonomous delivery robots that work without lidar — says that it plans bump its fleet up to 400  by the end of this year, up from the 5

Kakao Mobility picks up ‘super app’ startup Splyt, once backed by SoftBank and Grab

Kakao Mobility, the ride-hailing subsidiary of South Korean messaging and internet giant Kakao, has made its first acquisition as it looks to raise its international profile. It has acquired Splyt, a

Apple Pay is now available in South Korea

After years of regulatory delays, Apple users in South Korea can finally start using Apple Pay from today.

Samsung commits $230B for five new chip plants in South Korea

Samsung Electronics said today that it plans to invest approximately $230 billion (300 trillion won) to build five new memory and foundry fabs in South Korea — a big move in line with the govern

Indent raises $8.1M funding for its AI-powered customer video review tool

According to a recent report, 92.4% of consumers use reviews when deciding to purchase products. It’s understandable. They want confidence in their purchase choice before buying a product online

Agtech Green Labs is the latest Korean startup to lay off employees 

Green Labs, a South Korean agtech startup that raised $140 million (170 billion won) Series C in January last year, is cutting a significant number of jobs. People familiar with the matter confirmed t

South Korea boosts its AI chip industry with $642M amid ChatGPT frenzy

South Korea hopes to be a key player in fulfilling the new global demand for next-generation AI chips, and today the government put some money where its mouth is: The country’s Ministry of Scien

Korea’s Portlogics makes international shipping easier for merchants with its software tool

Most merchants in South Korea keep track of their international shipping logistics via email until their cargo safely gets to its destination. This includes all the administrative processes, from ship

Binance acquires majority stake in Korean crypto exchange GOPAX

Binance Holdings plans to return to South Korea after pulling out of the market in 2021. The world’s largest cryptocurrency trading platform by volume said it had acquired a majority stake in S

Apple Pay gets the green light to launch its service in South Korea

A South Korean financial regulator said on Friday that the country had approved the Apple Pay launch to allow local credit card firms to introduce the Apple Pay service. The announcement comes nearly

Energy X secures $20M at $120M valuation to slash building sector emissions

Countries worldwide have pledged to reduce their energy usage and reach net-zero energy targets by 2050. To get there, they will need to find clever ways to decarbonize especially dirty businesses, in

Kakao Entertainment lands $966M from sovereign wealth funds, including Saudi Arabia’s PIF 

Kakao Entertainment announced today it has raised $966 million (1.2 trillion won) in financing from sovereign wealth funds, such as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Singapore-base
Load More